Prisoner Escape is Another Black Eye for Police Department

Last Tuesday, we reported on the escape of a pair of prisoners from the High Court here in Belize City.  While accused murderer Hildebrandt Codd remains a fugitive of the law, his accomplice Jessie Mejia was captured later that same day.  It’s undoubtedly a black eye for the Belize Police Department, two inmates showing up at court for capital offenses and making good their escape from lawful custody by climbing out of a window inside the jury room.  This afternoon, Commissioner Williams shared his disappointment over what transpired.

Chester Williams

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“The police department has been doing a lot to secure the citizens of this country and while yes, there‘s a lot of good things that we have done and continue to do, there certainly is room for improvement and I communicated that just this morning to my commanders in our usual Monday morning conference.  I was extremely unhappy when I got the news of the escape of Codd and Mejia.  That escape, for me, ought not to have happened and the police officers who were tasked to stand guard of those prisoners must take full responsibility for their inaction.  The reason given to me by the able commander of Eastern Division is one that I cannot accept and will not accept.  One of the issues is that the police officers are complaining that the Supreme Court area does not have a cell block.  You would know that prior to the hurricane there was a cell block there, but the hurricane came and destroyed the Supreme Court building, that would be the one on the south wing and that building is currently under renovation and so the cell block is not available.  But to say that the Supreme Court does not have a cell block as a justification for what took place is unacceptable.  Yes, I understand that the prisoners were being kept in a jury room until they would have been called into the court.  But again, I would have taken it differently if the prisoners were in the jury room, the police were there and they overpowered the police and escaped.  I would have accepted that.  But the police officers simply left the prisoners in the jury room and gone about their business.  That, for me, is gross negligence on the part of the police.  We tried arduously to make sure that the matter, particularly involving Hildebrandt Codd, be successfully prosecuted.”